Sardinia's Airports: A Traveler's Guide

what is the airport in sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from Corsica by the Strait of Bonifacio. It is known for its beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, and ancient history. With regards to air travel, there are three airports on the island: Cagliari-Elmas, Olbia-Costa Smeralda, and Alghero-Fertilia. In this article, we will explore each of these airports, providing information on their locations, amenities, and transport options, to help you navigate your arrival or departure from this fascinating island.

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Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG)

Cagliari Airport opened on 3 May 1937 and was upgraded in 2003, with the terminal expanded and provided with 6 jet bridges for passenger boarding, increasing the capacity to 4 million passengers per year. In 2018, the airport handled 4,370,014 passengers, with over 3 million passengers passing through annually. The airport is the busiest in Sardinia and is a common holiday destination for European travellers, making it a busy terminal.

The terminal consists of a 3-storey building with arrivals on the ground floor and departures on the first floor, which can still be accessed by vehicles via a ramp. The airport offers various facilities for passengers, including banks, ATMs, shops, restaurants, cafes, business centres, and an executive lounge. Short and long-term parking services are also available.

Transportation options from Cagliari Elmas Airport to the city centre include taxi services, buses, and rental vehicles. The ARST Azienda Regionale Trasporti bus service operates from the airport to Cagliari, and a shuttle bus also departs hourly to the city centre. Major rental car companies such as Budget, Hertz, and Eurocar operate at the airport. Additionally, a railway station serves the airport, enabling connections to most Sardinian towns.

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Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB)

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport is served by 33 airlines, connecting it to 73 destinations worldwide. The airport offers both low-cost and traditional airline options, including easyJet, Volotea, Meridiana, HLX, and Helvetic. The route with the most departures is to Rome (FCO), with approximately 49 flights per week. Other popular international destinations include Munich (MUC) and Paris (ORY). The longest flight departing from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport is to Dubai (DBX), taking around 6 hours and 10 minutes.

For travellers arriving at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, there are several transportation options available. The airport offers ample parking spaces, and taxi services are also available. Additionally, a shuttle bus service provides a convenient and affordable connection to the city centre, with a journey time of approximately 10 minutes.

When it comes to car rental at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, companies like Alamo Rent a Car offer a range of vehicles. However, it's important to be aware of additional fees, such as young driver surcharges and airport/railway fees. Alamo provides after-hours pick-up and return services, but these also incur extra charges. To avoid unnecessary fees, customers must provide accurate flight details and carefully follow the rental conditions.

Overall, Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) serves as a vital gateway to Sardinia, providing convenient connections to other European airports and destinations. Its proximity to the city centre and transportation options make it a preferred choice for travellers visiting the region.

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Alghero–Fertilia Airport

The island of Sardinia is served by three airports: Cagliari-Elmas, Olbia-Costa Smeralda, and Alghero–Fertilia Airport. The latter, also known as Alghero Airport or Alghero-Riviera del Corallo Airport, is an international airport located 8 km north-northwest of the city of Alghero in northern Sardinia, Italy. The airport is named after the nearby village of Fertilia.

The airport can be accessed via the Strada Statale 42 from the city of Alghero and the SS 131 Carlo Felice Highway and SS 291 from the rest of the island. It offers a range of services and facilities for travellers, including shopping and dining options.

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Oristano-Fenosu Airport

The Island of Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from Corsica by the Strait of Bonifacio. It has a long, rocky coastline, with small sandy beaches dotted along it. There are three airports on Sardinia: Cagliari-Elmas, Olbia-Costa Smeralda, and Alghero-Fertilia. Cagliari-Elmas is the largest airport, located about 4 miles from the city centre. Olbia-Costa Smeralda is the second-largest airport, just 2 miles from the city. Alghero-Fertilia is a very small airport that services Ryanair flights from London.

In addition to these three airports, there is also the Oristano-Fenosu Airport. Unfortunately, I could not find much information about this airport. It is referred to by the code FNU/LIER.

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Tortolì Airport

There are three airports in Sardinia: Cagliari-Elmas, Olbia-Costa Smeralda, and Alghero-Fertilia. Ryanair offers a direct flight from London to Alghero's Fertilia airport. The largest airport on the island is Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), which is about four miles from the city centre. The airport in Cagliari has about 300 parking spaces, and taxis are permanently stationed there. A shuttle bus departs every hour for the city centre, and major rental car companies like Budget, Hertz and Eurocar operate at Cagliari Airport.

The second-largest airport in Sardinia is Olbia-Costa Smeralda (OLB). This airport is only two miles from the city centre and also has plenty of parking spaces and taxis operating within it. There is also a shuttle bus that takes about ten minutes to get to town. Several major rental car companies like Avis, Hertz and Sixt operate at Olbia Airport. Airlines that fly into Olbia include Meridiana, Easyjet, HLX and Helvetic.

In 2008, the runway was extended to 1,442 metres, and the terminal was modernised in 2010. The airport reopened in 2010 for Meridiana flights connecting the airport with main Italian airports from June to mid-September. In 2011, the airport offered flights to northern Italy, Switzerland and Austria. The airport closed after a flight to Rome on 10 October 2011. In 2021, the Industrial Consortium, owner of the Aliarbatax company holding 100% of the airport's shares, started plans to obtain authorisation from ENAC to reopen the airport for general aviation. Initial plans for 2022 included the airport offering commercial flights on aircraft with up to 100 seats. On 28 April 2022, ENAC gave the authorisation to reopen the airport for general aviation, and the airport opened to general aviation traffic in mid-June 2023. Current plans include establishing the airport as a base for firefighting operations in the Sardinia region, with the Canadair aircraft, and helicopter rescue flights, as well as aerospace experimentation with DASS (the Sardinian Aerospace District).

Frequently asked questions

There are six airports in Sardinia.

The largest airport in Sardinia is Cagliari-Elmas Airport (CAG).

Cagliari Airport is about 4 miles (6 km) from the city centre.

The largest airline that frequently arrives in Cagliari is Alitalia. Other airlines include Meridiana, Volare, Air One, and Volotea.

Cagliari is known for its handsome 19th-century biscuit-coloured buildings and the impressive Museo Archeologico, which has exhibits dating from 6,000 BC. The city is also home to the Cagliari Antiquaria flea market, where you can find local crafts, linens, old maps and books, and historical ephemera. Outside of the city, you can visit the Roman and Carthaginian ruins of Nora, which include mosaics, temples and thermal baths, or head to Poetto beach, which has almost eight kilometres of white sand. Sardinia is also known for its ancient history, archaeological sites, and stone fortresses.

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